


Would You Go Back?

by JantoJones



Series: Modest Briefings (The 2nd 100) [32]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 20:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17454053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JantoJones/pseuds/JantoJones
Summary: A woodland meeting brings back memories for Illya.





	Would You Go Back?

**Author's Note:**

> Stars when you shine, you know how I feel  
> Scent of the pine, you know how I feel  
> Oh, freedom is mine, and I know how I feel  
> It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me
> 
> And I'm feelin'... good
> 
> “Feeling Good” ~ Michael Bublé.

“Who chose this as a meeting point?” Napoleon asked, as he almost tripped for the fifth time. “Three people meeting in the middle of a pine forest, at four in the morning, is far more suspicious that meeting in a crowd during the day.”

Illya didn’t reply. Napoleon was a city boy at heart and, although he could survive in the woodland without any problems, he much preferred to be immersed in civilisation. He was guaranteed to still be complaining when the meeting was over, and they were making their way back.

“I don’t see why we both needed to come,” Napoleon continued.

“It’s an unknown contact, and you are carrying $3000,” Illya reminded him, knowing that Solo was well aware of that fact. “It is merely for security.”

The pair walked on in silence until they came to the clearing the contact had specified. They had ten minutes to wait before the appointed time, and neither agent relished waiting out in the open. It was decided they would stay amongst the trees until the other man came. Illya got down and the ground and lay flat on his back. From his position, he could see the stars fading against the lightening sky, as the new day began to dawn. He took a deep lungful of air through his nose, relishing the scent of the pine trees.

“Do you actually like it here?” Napoleon asked, as he sat down beside him.

“It reminds me of home,” Illya replied. “My village was on the edge of a forest which contained many pine trees. Almost from the moment I could walk, I was climbing the trees as often as I could.”

Napoleon could well believe it. He had witnessed Illya’s amazing ability to scamper up vertical surfaces, and could imagine what he would have been like as a child.

“I miss it.”

It was a simple statement, but it was said which such a tone of grief that Napoleon couldn’t stop himself from placing a supporting palm on Illya’s shoulder.

“I am fine, Napoleon,” Illya told him. “I just sometimes wish things had been different.”

“It isn’t possible of course, but if your fairy godmother suddenly appeared and offered you the chance to grow up surrounded by your family, would you accept?”

It was something Illya had thought about many times, though he didn’t use the fanciful notion of a fairy godmother. The pain of losing his family, and his idyllic life had never left him, but he had learned long ago how to cope with it. However, the life that he was currently living had given him opportunities which would never have been his otherwise. Not that the ability to see the world was any consolation, but Illya played an important part in the safety of the world, and was able to prevent others from losing as much as he had.

He was also relatively free. From his teens, his life hadn’t belonged to him. Until he had joined U.N.C.L.E. he had always been in a command structure which allowed him little to no chance of individuality. He was still within a command structure of course, but he held a fairly lofty position, and outside of work he could pretty much live his own life. Freedom, for a given value of free, was his, and he enjoyed it. Probably more than he should.

He had indeed wondered many times if we would go back given the chance, and had concluded each time that he wouldn’t. He missed his family and his childhood home bitterly, but their loss was what had made him who he was, and he was happy with the person he’d become.

“No,” he finally replied to Napoleon’s question. “Things are what they are.”

Before Napoleon could say anything, a figure emerged from the trees at the other side of the clearing. He told Illya to cover him from his hidden position. He was only away for a minute and a half before returning with a piece of paper.

“That was fast,” Illya commented. “I hope that paper is worth the money.”

“We won’t know until we get back and check all the names on it,” Napoleon replied. “The contact claims that they are some of Thrush’s largest backers.”

“Would you mind if we stayed here a bit longer?” Illya asked, as Napoleon was about to leave. “It may sound a little odd but, despite the sad memories it has brought up, I am also reminded of happy times, and I am feeling good.”

Napoleon nodded his agreement. How could he deny his friend his moment of peace?


End file.
